


Through Tides and Time

by Followyourwaytodawn



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mention of Minor Character Death, Mentions of Death, Non-Graphic Violence, a boat full of idiots, high seas romance, mild historical accuracy, sword fights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22634776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Followyourwaytodawn/pseuds/Followyourwaytodawn
Summary: Riku leads him back down to the docks, shushing and telling all his men to disengage as they go. They look confused, but as soon as the soldiers disengage, the pirates withdraw, whooping and yelling back to their ship.Riku and Sora cross the docks, and Sora begins counting down, "And a three... two... one... boom!" On cue, the guard towers explode and Sora cackles, shoving Riku up the ramp to the deck faster. He pushes Riku to trip out onto the deck at the crest, as Sora's yell of, "Full sails, men! Let's be off!" is met from resounding cheers from the pirates.Riku has the sinking realization that his long-lost best friend is now a pirate captain.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my very self indulgent, only mildly historically accurate Pirate au! I've been workin on this a while, it started as a twitterfic, but I'm posting here now! Enjoy!!

As most children do after seeing black sails on the horizon, Sora and Riku grew up thinking about pirates. They fought with wooden swords on the sandy beaches for hours and hours until their parents called them home for dinner.

Childhood had a funny way of making dangerous things the most enticing. They learned as they grew up that those ships were to be feared. Especially by a port town whose main form of income was fishing, being out at sea.

As they grow older, Sora and Riku stuck together like glue. By the time they turn fifteen, they still do just about everything together. Sora's father starts commenting on how he's becoming such a fine young man. That 'he needs to finally start working the fishing boats, because that's what the men of this house do.'

Naturally, Riku joins him.

They start working on fishing vessels going out to sea a few days a week then selling in the market the other few days.

They never go out to sea without the other. It's their normal. So when Riku's dad, a drill instructor in the Royal Navy, begins to insinuate Riku should start courting a young lady so he can become a competent society man, it strikes Riku that he's never been interested in trying.

"One's reputation is all he has," is what his dad would say. He considered himself lucky to marry a young debutante with money when he hadn't even inherited the family estate yet. Some considered his mother an unlucky, quiet woman. A beauty, and nothing but a trophy to her husband. Riku comes to realize he wants none of that. And becoming Society man, that wasn't for him either. He brings up these frustrations to Sora, who looks a little shocked, if not the smallest bit pleased.

Sora tells him that he wasn't really planning on settling down either. High seas adventure with Riku was more fun than anything else life could offer.

Riku rolls his eyes and tells him that they could hardly call fishing for grouper "adventurous."

Then, Riku gets sick. Nothing awful, but a flu that keeps him down for a week. There's another fishing boat going out that week, but he can't be on it. It's the only time Sora goes without him. Riku doesn't see him on the day they're due to arrive back. Or the next week. Or the next month. Word eventually arrives from a neighboring island that their ship had been taken by pirates, very few men were able to escape. They were holed up on the other island.

Riku being seventeen and barely having a cent to his own name, could not afford to travel and find out if Sora survived. His father refused to allow him to squander family money on something so trivial. It's killing him inside not knowing, so he tries to find some way, any way. He sees a flier for the Naval Guard recruitment, the station in need is on that other island! Riku immediately signs up and passes their fitness tests and boom, he's part of the naval guard! He's shipped off to the other island and spends all his free time searching.


	2. Ten Years Passed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The years moved on, and so he thought had he. Until this fateful encounter changes his mind.

Riku has just been named regional Captain of the Naval Guard, but during the reception, he looks preoccupied. He's recalling the entire reason he joined, how he failed to find his friend. Everyone is congratulating him on his bravery during the last pirate raid, wanting to shake hands with him, ladies giving him eyes behind their silk fans. 

His ceremony uniform feels too stiff, and the powder they put in his hair is making his nose itch. He bows his head and excuses himself from whatever conversation he's been caught in the middle of, claiming he needs a bit of fresh air. 

He walks out onto the balcony, the governor had graciously offered to host the reception at his manor just off the coast. Perhaps as a way to bribe him later for favors, maybe it was genuine, no one could tell. Riku sighs and stares off to the sea where he had spent most of his life, wondering if it were at all possible Sora was still out there.

Just then, the dock warning bells begin to go off, and Riku tries to see around buildings to catch the colors of the flags being raised at the dock watchtower. Black.

Pirates.

Riku sprints back into the manor and alerts all the idle naval guards there for the party. They follow his lead and jumped into action, tearing off toward the docks. 

_Wretched pirates must've planned this, knowing the party would have many of the guardsmen away from their post!_ Riku thinks as he draws his sword, thanking every god existing that he left the ceremonial one at home in lieu of his real, sharpened rapier.

As he makes it to the docks he sees the pirates already laying waste to the little market nearby and terrorizing townspeople. Scowling, he surges forward, catching one pirate off guard enough to disarm him and knock him out with the pommel of his sword. Riku half wished the man dead, but he calls for another guardsman to take the unconscious pirate to the cells. He would meet his fate in prison- likely by way of the dreaded gallows.

Moving on quickly, he directs a townswoman to a safe place right as the cannon fire begins. A cart next to him explodes on impact, sending splinters into the air. Riku got lucky enough to avoid that one, but by the smell of iron and gunpowder in the air, he's about to be in the middle of one hell of a fight. 

Quickly scanning his surroundings, he sees most of the pirates now engaged with the guardsmen that had followed behind him. Just before he is about to turn back into the fight, he notices a smaller figure darting off towards the town. Riku chases after them.

At first, it seems the person doesn't notice they're being followed, but in one calculated step, they draw back as Riku continues forward, spinning around and thrusting a blade towards Riku. They are quick on the draw, but Riku is much faster, he parries the blow and knocks them back. They clash, the clang of their blades is nearly drown out by the gunshots and cannon fire. 

This person is truly skilled with a blade, and it takes a lot for Riku to best them. He comes down with a strong cross strike that they have to hold their grip with both hands to block. The metal screeches against each other as Riku gives it one more shove and knocks the person to the ground.

Their tricorn hat and bandana gets knocked loose and suddenly Riku is staring at a face he has longed to see for years.

"S-Sora?"

"Riku?"

"You're... you're alive!" Riku ever so slightly lowers his blade, not noticing the way Sora glances behind him. In that one moment of softness, Sora grabs his sword and knocks Riku's away as he scrambles to his feet. He yanks Riku around so his back is to Sora's front and holds his blade across Riku's chest and the point just under his chin.

"Yeah, I'm alive. And you're gonna keep me that way, isn't that right, fellas?"

Some of the latter guards had caught up to them, muskets drawn and pointed at Sora.

"C'mon Riku, call 'em off, for old time's sake," Sora sneers at them, edging the point just a little closer to Riku's throat.

"D-Don't shoot! Put your guns down, do what he says!" Riku says, and with all that newly gained authority, the men listen.

"Aw, thanks for the favor. Now then, gents, I'm gonna mosey my way back to my ship aaand just to make sure there's no funny business, the Captain here is gonna escort me, won't you dear?" Sora laughs, almost like it's all a game to him. Riku hears a click and the barrel of a pistol pressed to his back, "Now let's get movin soldier."

Riku leads him back down to the docks, shushing and telling all his men to disengage as they go. They look confused, but as soon as the soldiers disengage, the pirates withdraw, whooping and yelling back to their ship. 

Riku and Sora cross the docks and Sora begins counting down, "and a three... two... one... boom!" On cue, the guard towers explode and Sora cackles, shoving Riku up the ramp to the deck faster. He pushes Riku to trip out onto the deck at the crest, as Sora's yell of, "Full sails, men! Let's be off!" is met from resounding cheers from the pirates.

Riku has the sinking realization that his long-lost best friend is now a pirate captain.

* * *

As the ship takes off, Sora turns to another man, "Take that one down," then turning to another, "Don, get the gunner and meet me in my quarters." Without looking back, Sora stomps off to the captain's quarters.

Once alone, Sora begins to delicately freak out. _HOLY MERMAIDS AND SEA SERPENTS THAT WAS_ ** _RIKU_** _WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING_ _THERE_ He paces back and forth across his room until there's a knock at his door.

His first mate and gunner walk in, the first mate immediately yelling, "What were you thinking?! This wasn't supposed to be a captives mission!!" 

Sora holds up his hands palms out, "Hey, hey, I know, I just got into a rough spot and... well, I actually know him! Which is real bad. But kind of good! But that also means we can't let him go. Oh shit, this is really bad..." He turns back to his desk, one hand drawn up to his chin, thinking and pacing again.

The gunner pipes in a quick suggestion, "We could always treat this like a ransom raid. Get information from him then sink him!"

"NO!" Sora shouts all too quickly. "No, no, I mean, we should definitely get information from him. Let's hold off on sending him to Davy Jones, alright? Bring him to me in twenty minutes. I need to think about how I'll go about this."

The duo nods and leaves, and Sora slumps into his desk chair. He pokes at a weighted bauble he stole from a royal vessel before shifting around a quill he took from a merchant. He can't think of anything. Groaning, Sora drops his head into his hands, elbows on the desk.

Soon, his twenty minutes are up and another knock sounds at his door. Sora stands and steps over as Don shoves Riku through the door, chains clanking as he moves. "Here's the prisoner, Cap'n!"

"Why is he shackled?!" Sora asks, exasperated at the overkill. Sure, Don probably wants to intimidate him, but this is too much. "Key." Sora states, holding out his hand with no room for argument. The first mate gulps and jingles around for the keys a minute before handing one over to Sora. "Now out." And the door slams.

"Honestly, why would he-" Sora mutters as he yanks the shackles, and inadvertently Riku's hands, toward him. He unlocks them and as soon as they thud on the ground, Sora is wrapped in a warm embrace.

"You're here. You're alive! I searched everywhere for you, Sora!"

The tender, awed voice rang in Sora's ear. He can barely handle it. Pushing out of the embrace, Sora stared back at him, "What's your game? Hoping to win me over, drop my guard, so we'll be ill prepared when your ships arrive, _captain_."

Riku opens his mouth to say something, anything, but Sora pins him with a look that stops him in his tracks. "It doesn't matter. We won't be 'round this port again in a long while. You're going back your cell."

* * *

Sora keeps bringing Riku up for questioning, but Riku always says "Can't we catch up a little? It has been ten whole years." Sora tries to be a tough pirate captain, thinking of his crew's best interest, but Riku has grown up to be devastatingly handsome. Sora just feels gooey and mushy inside. He's so confused as to why Riku is looking at him with such an expression. He's suddenly 15 again and scared to death that his crush is going to scare the other boy away. He feels so small, but he's grown now! It shouldn't affect him so much! He sends Riku back to the holding cell without another word. 

Sora starts pacing a lot more. The first mate is starting to get a little worried. The whole crew thinks having a naval guard captain aboard is putting a target on their backs. But Riku hasn't made any threats. In fact, he and Isa, the brig watchman, have been getting along quite well. 

Sora repeats this drill many more times. Bring Riku up for questioning, Riku asks to just speak with him, Sora feels overwhelmed, sends Riku away again. This started a week ago. They do this dance three more days until Sora breaks.

"Can't I just talk to you once? Then I'll tell you anything you want to know." The soft look still present in his eyes even after all these days.

"God, why do you keep looking at me like that? It has been ten years, we're on opposite sides of the law, you can't think I'm the same dumb kid you knew!"

A wistful smile crosses Riku's lips, 

"It was never about chasing pirates or upholding the laws at sea. For me, every horizon had the potential to show me you still lived. That is what I sail for. And now that I've found you, I do not intend to leave you again, be it as a pirate or returning home. My heart has always been with you."

Riku reaches out, and Sora almost, almost lets himself fall into it. But he hesitates, shakes his head. "No... no, this isn't like some fairytale. You're a danger to my men, the name I've built for this crew. If your guard finds out it's us that took you, we're dead. I can't- no, I won't choose between you and my crew."

Riku brings his hands back to his chest, determination twinkling in his eye, "Well, I've waited ten years, I suppose I can wait a little longer."

"Until what?"

"Until you realize I'm serious. I'm not going anywhere. Put me to work, you know I'm capable at sea. I'll become part of the crew."

Sora shakes his head, exasperated, "Fine... Fine, go tell Don I said you get to work. But if you try anything, back to your cell!"

Riku nods and pauses at the door as he leaves, "Thank you... for giving me a chance." Sora waves him off, still a little embarrassed at the ooey gooey mushy nonsense Riku had been spouting.

* * *

Within a few weeks, Riku is part of the crew, despite their initial distrust of him. He gained the trust of the quartermaster and several of the others.

He loses the ceremony uniform that he was wearing when Sora had stolen him away. Instead, he wears the loose linen shirt that goes under that heavy coat and another crewmate had found him more suitable pants for seafaring. When Xion, the lookout, had taken a strip of bandana and wrapped it around his forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes, Riku looked the part of a seasoned pirate. 

Sometimes, Sora surveys the crew's work from the upper deck, his gaze catches on Riku. It doesn't take long for Riku to notice, and he looks up with a little smile and wave. The flush on Sora's cheeks is blamed on too much sun as he turns away quickly.

Week three is a raid. A rich merchant port, known for exploiting workers and making locals pay double price for goods. Riku knows the guard captain of the area and their usual plan of attack. With his help, the pirates get in and out virtually undetected, no skirmishes or brushes with the guard.

That night, they celebrate at sea. The whole crew piling into the mess as their captain regales them with stories. Sora stands on the table, a pint in one hand and his saber in the other, swinging both wildly. The men around him duck to avoid any spills and stabs as Sora tells his stories with plenty of demonstration. 

Riku sits two tables away, enamored by the charisma of the captain. A pint and plate clatter to the table next to him, startling him. Isa, who he became acquainted with during his time in the cell, sits next to him looking toward Sora as well. 

"My favorite is the story of how he became captain, but we rarely hear it," Isa says nonchalantly, picking at his plate. Riku doesn't take him to be much of the joking sort, so he takes the comment at face value.

"Oh? Why not?"

Mirth dances in his eyes as he takes a swig of his mug and answers, "Usually, he must be absolutely sloshed before he tells it." He pauses as if recalling before he continues, "But I remember it well. I was the previous captain's first mate." 

That shocks Riku a little. Usually when a new captain takes over they choose their own crew, right? "So, you're still here? Why?"

Another pause to drink and Isa looks away from the scene Sora causes as he crosses over the table, "This ship and crew once operated under a much different code of conduct... but Sora did all he could to change that. Imagine, scrappy seventeen year old plucked off a fishing vessel a year prior challenging a seasoned pirate captain to a duel." A small chuckle drifted from his upturned lips, "And against all odds he won. By code, he was the captain. Changed the way we did things, don't take too much, take care of each other's needs, bloodshed only if absolutely necessary. He's a bit of a Robin Hood at wealthy ports, though. And his blade is most certainly not just for show."

Riku looks back to his boyhood crush, awed by his accomplishments. Sora's eyes meet his across the room. His sword stops mid swing and his pint almost slips from his hand. Standing still for a moment, Sora whispers something Riku can't hear before shaking his head, and looking away.

* * *

"You know, I once fell in love with a Lady. As in a beautiful woman with a title and manor and everything." She says as they stand atop the crow's nest surveying the sea. The breeze tosses Xion's short hair every which way but it doesn't change her fond expression. "That was way before this all, of course."

Sora can taste the salt in the air as he opens his mouth. The question he wants to ask changes mid thought, so he ends up on, "What happened with that?" More neutral than anything else, but still curious.

Xion sighs and droops, propping her elbows on the railing, "I asked her to run away with me, but it wasn't meant to be. She was engaged to a decent man, due to her father's standing. He was nice and he could easily provide. She was too polite to break the engagement, no matter how much she loved me." She pauses, a slim smile on her lips at the sliver of happy memories that came with that time.

In the comfortable silence that follows, Sora's eyes drift from the sea to the deck of the ship. Absentmindedly, his fingers drum on the railing until his eyes find Riku, hard at work coiling ropes and putting them into their spot. 

"You're really lucky though. You didn't even have to ask him to run away with you."

Sora's gaze snaps back up to Xion, and she giggles at him, having seen the look of longing in his eyes. Before he can even start to deny, she interrupts. 

"Save it, I've seen that look before. It's the same look you get anytime we sail by the island you grew up on. You gotta talk to him."

Sora's jaw clicks shut. He doesn't know how to even begin to do that.

* * *

His opportunity comes much sooner than expected. That night, Riku finds Sora on the upper deck alone. He looks out through the dusk as the stars and sea began to meet, his waist bent and elbows resting on the barrier. His fingers fiddle with one of his rings, flipping it over and over again. Riku moves to stand beside him, looking out to sea as well.

The small night crew makes very little noise behind them except to shout for more lantern oil, they're running out. Sora catches his ring and slips it back on, afterwards cupping hands together. Chewing on his lip, he seems to be searching for something to say, and the realization hits Riku that this is the first time they've been alone together outside of his initial interrogations. He opens his mouth to speak, but Sora beats him to it.

"You know, I never thought I'd be able to see you again?" Sora blurts out, still not looking towards Riku. "My first year on this boat, I thought I was going to die. Her previous captain was a cruel man. Most of my crew were taken as his prisoners at some point, the quartermaster, the lookout, I think even the cook." 

Riku bites his lip, not sure if he should interrupt. This was the most straightforward Sora had been with him. 

"I thought I knew sailing before. My dad's fishing boat was nothing compared to learning this." He gestures widely at his ship. Frowning, he continues, "He… didn't make it, you know. Dad. He said he'd rather die than give up his ship to pirates. So the old man sunk him on it… kept me alive out of spite, I think.."

"I should have been on that ship with you," Riku blurts out. He wants to console Sora, but he doesn't know how. The Sora he grew up with would have wanted a hug, but… things change. That fact has been made very clear.

Sora's expression softens a little as if he was expecting Riku to say that. Closing his eyes, he says reassuring, "You were sick, don't blame yourself."

Shaking his head, the railing held tight in his clenched hands, Riku whispers, "Sora, I could've done something."

"What could you have done? We were practically kids!"

"We were grown enou-"

Sora rounds on him, his voice a growl of anger, "I was sixteen. Anyone who says you're a man by then has never gone through something arduous as being kidnapped and impressed into servitude. I was nothing but a scared child, Riku."

Riku watches him slam his fist against the railing and turn away, only to turn back and angrily bite out, "You know what fighting this got me?" He reaches for the collar of his shirt, top two buttons undone as usual. Tugging it down, he reveals a crossed scar over the middle of his chest, right over his heart. "He said the next time, he wouldn't miss. So when the next time came, I struck first."

Sora lets his shirt go, covering that scar. He looks like he wants to flee again, overwhelmed by digging up this past. His eyes flicker away from Riku, like he's going to turn away.

"I'm sorry."

Sora stops in his tracks, his gaze returning to Riku.

"I was thinking, when we were younger, I believed you and I could get through anything together. Nothing could best us. I don't mean to trivialize your experience, that isn't right." The quiet creak of the ship fills the small silence between them. Sora's brow furrows, conflicted. Riku's words don't pity him, which is for the best because that's the last thing Sora wants from him after all these years.

Sora's lips part, his earlier anger subsiding as he says, "I… I used to love that confidence you had. It made me believe anything you said. Like when you and dad tried to take down that swordfish _on your own_ , god, that was so stupid," he huffs a worn out laugh. "But it was you. I thought you could shoot down the sun if you tried hard enough."

"Love can blind you, huh?"

Sora nods before realizing what he's agreeing to, "W-wait, I mean-!" His surprised look and attempts at retraction only cause Riku to laugh. "I didn't mean- that-"

Once Riku settles, he pins Sora with a knowing look, "Yeah, I understand. It has been a long time, huh?" His gaze turns back out to the darkened sea, the corners of his lips hold a gentle upturn, not quite a smile but something calm. Sora looks at him finally, really looks at him. 

That same boy he was so enamored with has grown to be so different, but so much the same. That laugh is what finally makes him cave.

"Listen, yeah, you're right. I was completely in love with you, back then," Sora mumbles, a light flush falls over his cheeks as he says it. In the yellowed lantern light though, Riku almost misses it. "But it was a long time ago. A hope I haven't allowed myself in so long, I-" Sora drops off as he sees Riku slowly shake his head.

"That's fine, Sora. Right now, I'm content with just the chance to know you again. If anything else follows, well," Riku's eyes dance with mirth in the jumping lamplight. 

Patience and promise fills in the gaps. The past brought them together but the idea of future binds them. 

Sora feels a weight in his chest. Something he cannot name, but anticipation drives it. He swallows hard, "R-right. It's late. We should rest…" He tries to think of parting words, but none settle quite the right way he wants.

As always, Riku meets him in the middle, "Good night, Sora. Sleep well." Gently, Riku takes his hand. Loose enough for Sora to pull away if he wants, but he doesn't. Twining their fingers, hands palm to palm, Riku brings them up and tilts his head to press the lightest of kisses to the back of Sora's. His eyes flicker up to meet Sora's for a second before it's all over and he softly places the other's hand back on the railing. 

Sora watches Riku's back as he retreats toward the crew's station below deck. His right hand cradles his left, his fingers brushing over the spot Riku's lips touched. That weight in his chest a little lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The LOVELY @thematchalight on twitter made art of some of these scenes, you should check them out!!
> 
> https://twitter.com/thematchalight/status/1215134040728178688?s=20
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed! ♡


End file.
